Toy



y 29, 1930- B. GORDON 1,771,920

TOY

Filed June 13. 1929 7 7 INVENTOR WITNESSE; [Ben 4771272 $02 0 1 dA/flZ/M. I -M ATTORNEY Patented July 29,

QBENJAMIN Gannon, or PHIL DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA TOY Application filed June .13,

This invention relates to improvements in toys, and it consists of theconstructions, conibinations and arrangements herein described and claimed. I

An objectof the invention is to provide a toy in the nature of the renowned and wellknown hobby-horse, but differing therefrom by the employment of a structure that will produce more eta bouncing motion rather than the characteristic rocking motion, al-

though enough of the latter is evident. to still identify the improved toy with the known type previously alluded to. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy in which a longspring bar is depended upon for the combined bouncing and rocking motion,'an inherent ad 'antage of this use PGSlE 'ng in a decided exercising of the abdominal, back and leg muscles, stimulating the circulation and otherwise promoting .a physical well-being.

' Other objects, and advantages. will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isa side elevation oi the improved toy,

Figure 2 is a plan view, a

Figure 3 is-a detail perspective view of the spring bar mounting, I Figure 4 is a cross-section taken on the line ll of Figure 3. l

The toy herein disclosed is an improvement on a similar invention for which Patent No, 1,729,214 was granted to Benjamin Gordon September 24, 1929. Each invention is devoted to the same purpose, namely, to make a contribution to the enjoyment of children by way of providing a new style hobbyhorse which operates in ;a new way and produces a new motion. 7

There are few persons who are not familiar with the hobby-horse of younger days and doubtless there are equally few who could trace any particular advantage to the more or less monotonous rocking motion. The toy of this application is constructed with the idea of involving actual sport in its use, and in addition to that to produce certain phys- 1929. Serial No. 370,596.

ical advantages which already have been briefly outlined. r I

Its use can be extended to any level surface such as sidewalks as well as the floorsot dwellings andporches, and when confined tothe latter will have the added beneficial effect of keeping children out of the streets and other dangerousplaces. Attention has been paid to a large measure of stability which will prevent the toy from tipping over when vigorously ridden by an energetic youngster. i

Attention is new directed to the drawing. The few parts of which it is composed comprise the base 1, spring bar 52 and seat 0.

The base is shaped to provide a 'suihciently extensive bearine to endow the toy with a large measure or stability. The shape," although illustrated as being enerally rectangu-lar, as in Figure 2, will be subject to considerable modification for one might easily conceive a base 01? generally triangular formation as possessingithe same .advamages which will be announced for the adopted con-- figuration.

Around steel bar is used in making the base 1. Thisis formed to produce the side bars 4 which, in this instance, are parallel. These bars are :bcwedor sprung as at 5 in Figure 1 :to materially add to the'springiness of the toy as well as to prevent tipping and jumping. The front of the base is constricted at 6 to produce a neck which consists of parallel members 7. These are spaced with cient closeness to retain the bevelled head 8 of a carriage bolt 9, yet are far enough apart to admit the shank of the bolt.

By applying the bevelled sides otthe head 7 .8 to the curved sides of the members 7 the I head .issuspended abovethe floor level. It

.does 'not protrude beneath the base, hence is c The prevented from scratching the floor. necki's a necessary adjunct to a head .10. ir which the front of the. base terminates, but by virtue'ot being peculiarly adapted to the reception of the head and shank of the bolt may be identified as a receptacle for the lat ter. I a

The extremity of the head 10 is rounded, and the rounded place shown; in Figures 3 I 10. It is bored with holes by which slldlng bearing image. Enough is left projecting and 1 is the point where the bar from which the base 1 is formed is begun to be bent to arrive at the specific shape. The extremities of the bar are bent around to form the closing bridge 11. The points of contact at 12 are welded and suitably finished so that the joint will be invisible.

It is observed that the head 10 stands at right angles to the neck 6. The angle does not necessarily have tobe exactly right. The head 10 may deviate from its perpendicularity without affecting its part in the function that the neck and head play as a mounting for the spring bar 2. The latter comprises a'rather long bar of spring steel. The seat 3 is applied to the upper end, and thelower end of the bar is secured to the foregoing mounting.

A coil into which the lower end of the spring bar is formed both aids in the-support of the spring bar and tends to prevent crystalization thereof at t is Jlace where the most bending will occur. The loop end 13 projects into the crotch of the neck 6 and head the bolt 9, previously mentioned, is received as well as a bolt 1% which passes through the head 10 to the front where it receives a washer and nut.

The spring bar is thus firmly mounted. The two bolts prevent any lateral swinging of the spring bar. The extremity of the coil is turned over at so that a rounded surface thereof comes beneath an adjacent part of the spring bar. The two surfaces contact; A

is formed at the point of contact. A the rider bounces up and down on the spring bar there will be a bending both of the bar 2 and of the coil. There will be a limited but perceptible sliding of the turned over s end 15 in reference to the spring bar, tending to distribute the bending efiort over the entire coil and avoiding centralizing the bending effort at any particular point.

spring bar. It performs very much as would the forearm of a person when resting the elbow against a support and holding a weight with the hand. But unlike this human analogy the coil is possessed of a resilient quality that accommodates itself to the motion of the spring bar in addition to bracing it.

The seat 3 is made of a board in usual instances, but may be otherwise constructed.

It is surmounted by an image 16 of a horses head. This head has handles 17 which the rider will grasp. The spring bar is equipped with foot rests 18 which are preferably clamped on to avoid boring into the metal and weakening it at a critical point. One or more bolts 19 are used to secure the seat, but that function is cheaply performed by screw 20 which have the added duty of securing the image 16.

These studs are screwed into an edge of the below that It is thus that the coil acts as a brace for the i studs 7 edge to permit insertion through holes both in the seat and in the upper end of the bar.

Nuts are applied to the nether ends. In practise the upper end of the bar 2 may be provided with a series of holes so that adjustments of the seat 3 may be made within a limited range to accommodate children of various sizes.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved toy is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a base, a spring bar carrying a seat, a coil into which one end. of the spring bar is formed, and means to so secure said coil to the base as to leave a portion of the coil in position to slidably bear against the spring bar.

2. A toy comprising a base having means defining a crotch, a spring bar carrying a seat, a coil into which'one end of the spring bar is formed including a loop end and a turned over extremity having sliding bearing a. "ainst the spring bar and assisting in the support thereof and means for securingvthe r' r at the loop end in the crotch of oy comprising a bar formed into a th parallel members constituting a nich terminates in a head to define a crotc 1 a spring bar carrying a seat, a (.011 into which one end of i118 spring bar is formed being seated in the crotch and having sliding eaiing against the spring bar, and means to secure the coil at the neck and head.

at. A toy comprising a base, and a spring bar carried by the base having a portion bent upon itself to form a brace upon which the bar is slidable when oscillated.

5. A toy comprising a base consisting of bars bowed upwardly substantially throughout their length to confine floor-contacting points to the extremities of the base, and a spring bar carried by the base having a portion bent upon itself to form a brace upon which the bar is slidable when oscillated.

' BENJAMIN GORDON. 

